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Villains and Victims

Newberry Teachers' Consortium

Thursday, October 24, 2013

9:30 am to 12:30 pm

Full, wait list only

Dr. Susan Phillips, Northwestern University

Plain-dealing villains and dissembling demi-devils, maligned maidens and damsels defamed: these pairings will be the subject of our discussion as we examine some of Shakespeare’s villains and the victims they exploit. We’ll explore the thin line between comedy and tragedy, as we read Much Ado about Nothing and Othello, juxtaposing the ultimately inept Don John and the all-too-effective Iago, as well as their outspoken yet naïve victims, Hero and Desdemona. Alongside these two plays, we will watch the Parker Othello (1995) and the Branagh Much Ado (1993), and if you can get to the theater this summer, the new Joss Whedon Much Ado.